PAS today called on the government to withdraw the Kampung Baru Development Corporation Bill, which is due to be tabled for its second reading when Parliament sits from Oct 3.

NONE Its vice-president Salahuddin Ayub said the government should instead renegotiate the development with the residents as there are strong objections to the bill.

Speaking at a press conference at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Salahuddin said feedback from the Kampung Baru residents was gleaned from six information sessions held with landowners of the traditional Malay village in June by the late PAS Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo' Lo' Mohd Ghazali.

"Because of (the information sessions) the owners of the land in Kampung Baru and their heirs understand the bill better (and realise it) clearly tries to manipulate them... and they have raised protest banners at their homes," he said.

Salahuddin said this situation resulted in the second reading of the bill, which was supposed to have taken place during the March sitting of Parliament, being put off.

NONE Minister of Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin had said then that the delay was to allow the landowners and their heirs to provide feedback.

Amendments to the bill were then proposed, to be made at the parliamentary committee level.

"But it is difficult for (opposing views) to win over the committee as (the BN) can bulldoze the bill with its majority vote," Salahuddin said.

"So, there is no guarantee that any feedback from the landowners will be taken into account."

Referendum done

The Kubang Kerian MP added that of the 4,000 landowners, 30 percent had returned the referendum forms distributed to them by the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Well-being.

The ministry distributed the forms in June, with the assurance the feedback would be used to determine if the bill would be tabled for its second reading.

Salahuddin said that in his Sept 17 announcement that the bill would be tabled for its second reading, Raja Nong Chik did not state the outcome of the referendum.

kampung baru "If the government is truly concerned about the rakyat, it should withdraw the bill and renegotiate with the landowners and their lawyers in drafting a new bill," he said.

The bill to set up a corporation to take charge of development in Kampung Baru was tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 14, 2010.

The corporation is to govern the 111-year-old enclave of 90.2 hectares located within the central district of Kuala Lumpur, where seven traditional Malay villages are located.

According to the amended KL Draft Plan, the entire area is to be developed into a commercial district.